Minutes

and Show & Tell

Minutes

PRIDE CITY QUILT GUILD Minutes – 18 Sep 2023

Meeting called to order at 9:32 by Jill Jespersen.
Minutes are accepted as published.
Please silence cell phones!!!
There was a Quilt of Valor left last meeting by persons unknown. 

Allie Russell has 6 things for in-house raffle: (Holly in for Allie today)

  • 1. Sewing drink cup, cleaning brushes, notepads, and gloves in a Halloween bucket – Jo Glenn

  • 2. Looney Toons iron-on transfer book and Just Around the Corner quilt book – Marka Rapenchuk

  • 3. Holiday Table Runner kit with fancy pins – Bev McCartee

  • 4. Winnie the Pooh panel and fabric in a Halloween bucket – Priscilla Palacio

  • 5. Roxanne's Big Strip Quilt with fabric – Tracy Dempsey

  • 6. Quilt themed jigsaw puzzle – Kristine McAllister

    Programs:

  • Today – Courtney Willis presented on the Featherweight and the impact of sewing machines on women's lives.

  • October – Allie Russell will present class on techniques of sewing on plastic to make bags. A supply list was provided today. Teflon foot is very useful. Class fee is $10.00.

  • November – Charity sew-in. Bring fabric for kits if you have it.

  • December – Christmas Lunch. Price is $10.50. The Guild will pay $5.50 and members will need to pay $5.00. Must be paid for by November if you want to participate.

    Committee Reports:

  • Quilt Show – Challenge quilt is a scrappy, crumb, or crazy quilt. It must be 68" to 76" wide by 68" to 74" long. Top must come from your stash.

  • Welcome/Sunshine – 54 members and 6 guests attended today. Guests were Rob Vandeberg, Sharon Sheehan, Judy Brown, Margaret Arnot, Myrna Dooley, and Carolyn Roach. Drawing for one yard of fabric for wearing a name tag went to Judy Brown.

  • Diane Birner received two bundles of fat quarters. One went to Marka Rapenchuk and the other to Kay Loudenberry.

  • Ann Kirkland does quilting for others. First Stitches and Stitcher's Garden have lists of other quilters.

  • Naoma brought in one finished quilt today. She brought in no kits today.

  • Two patriotic pillowcases were donated today by Linda Pace.

  • Treasurer's Report: As of the end of April, the balances in our accounts: General Acct. – Start - $8636.67, End - $8652.77, Quilt Show Acct. - $463.57, Raffle Acct. – Start - $1065.86, End - $815.86.

    Announcements:

  • We recently joined the Colorado Quilt Council. We received 10 tickets for the meeting guest fee (usually $10.00) and 10 tickets for workshop classes visitor fee. You must attend meetings in Denver or by Zoom. Pat has CQC raffle tickets for a beautiful quilt. They are $1.00 apiece or 6 for $5.00.

  • For the new members, books are available to borrow from the Guild library.

  • Lucille Hinman passed away this month. The display from her service was left up for us to enjoy.

  • Pueblo quilters are needed for Quilts of Valor presentations. Some vets can't get out; we need to go to them. The size of the pillowcases for Quilts of Valor are listed on the website. 55X65 min., 72X90 max.

    >      The Mt. Carmel Quilters (from Colo Springs) will make a presentation of Quilts of                   Valor to some local veterans on Thursday, Nov 2 at 3:30p.  This presentation will be              held at the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Pueblo, 1925 E. Orman Ave,                      Ste. 156.  Please come - this is a chance to find out what one of these formal                        ceremonies is like.

  • Jill expressed thanks to all that helped with the set-up and take-down at the State Fair.

  • Lorraine Kohrs reminded us of the MOLA display at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center.  Molas are a textile art form created by the Guna Indians of Panama. Guna tribeswomen living in Columbia and Panama use mola applique, a form of reverse applique incorporating three or more layers of fabric where each color used requires a layer of fabric. The appliques use multi-colored and multi-shaped designs. Traditional molas are found in museums and private collections and are still used as garments.

     >     Holly and Diane thank everyone for the great ideas for programs.

Respectfully Submitted, Mary Beth Shaufler

      September Program

      Professor Courtney Willis gave a very interesting program about the development of that wonderful invention - The Sewing Machine!

      The earliest machine was available about 1850.  Although Singer is the most well-known in the U.S., several other companies also developed a machine - notably Wilcox & Gibbs.

      The Civil War had a significant impact. Machines were built in the industrialized North, while the South was left to agriculture. The factories which built sewing machines also made guns, so production of sewing machines dropped during those years.

      Initially sewing machines were operated by hand crank. Later the foot treadle was added to allow the seamstress to use both hands.  Eventually machines were modified to add an electric motor, but purchasers often still wanted the hand crank as most homes did not have electricity.

      Many companies flourished, especially overseas, due to the limitations of shipping the early machines - which were made of cast iron.

      A sewing machine would cost about $100.  But with an average annual income of $400, most families could not afford a machine.  An enterprising gentlemen proposed that they ask a $5 initial investment, with a contract of $3/month for 3 years. This was a commitment that women would accept.

      The early machines did not have a bobbin.  Using only a single thread, a seam was sewn with a chain stitch but had to be well-anchored at each end.  Companies marketed this as a positive feature - the correctable seam - which assisted the alteration of clothing making shirts, pants, dresses last longer.

      Show & Tell - September